Problem burning bootloader on ATmega328P using internal clock

Question

I'm trying to burn the arduino bootloader onto my ATmega328P so it uses the internal clock. I followed the tutorial in this page but I'm getting this error.

avrdude: Version 6.3, compiled on Dec 16 2016 at 13:33:19
 Copyright (c) 2000-2005 Brian Dean, http://www.bdmicro.com/
 Copyright (c) 2007-2014 Joerg Wunsch
 System wide configuration file is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr/etc/avrdude.conf"
 Using Port : COM5
 Using Programmer : stk500v1
 Overriding Baud Rate : 19200
 AVR Part : ATmega328P
 Chip Erase delay : 9000 us
 PAGEL : PD7
 BS2 : PC2
 RESET disposition : dedicated
 RETRY pulse : SCK
 serial program mode : yes
 parallel program mode : yes
 Timeout : 200
 StabDelay : 100
 CmdexeDelay : 25
 SyncLoops : 32
 ByteDelay : 0
 PollIndex : 3
 PollValue : 0x53
 Memory Detail :
 Block Poll Page Polled
 Memory Type Mode Delay Size Indx Paged Size Size #Pages MinW MaxW ReadBack
 ----------- ---- ----- ----- ---- ------ ------ ---- ------ ----- ----- ---------
 eeprom 65 20 4 0 no 1024 4 0 3600 3600 0xff 0xff
 flash 65 6 128 0 yes 32768 128 256 4500 4500 0xff 0xff
 lfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 hfuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 efuse 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 lock 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 4500 4500 0x00 0x00
 calibration 0 0 0 0 no 1 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 signature 0 0 0 0 no 3 0 0 0 0 0x00 0x00
 Programmer Type : STK500
 Description : Atmel STK500 Version 1.x firmware
 Hardware Version: 2
 Firmware Version: 1.18
 Topcard : Unknown
 Vtarget : 0.0 V
 Varef : 0.0 V
 Oscillator : Off
 SCK period : 0.1 us
avrdude: AVR device initialized and ready to accept instructions
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000 (retrying)
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000 (retrying)
Error while burning bootloader.
Reading | ################################################## | 100% 0.02s
avrdude: Device signature = 0x000000
avrdude: Yikes! Invalid device signature.
 Double check connections and try again, or use -F to override
 this check.
avrdude done. Thank you.

I tried placing a cap from reset to ground but it doesn't wort either.
Any idea on what might be wrong with my procedure?

Thanks

[EDIT]

• I followed the procedure described at the bottom of the page linked (Minimal Circuit (Eliminating the External Clock)).
• I used the bootloader in "breadboard-1-6-x.zip"
• I am using the Arduino IDE v1.8.1

• James Waldby - jwpat7: It isn't clear from question+webpage what your procedure is, or what you want to do. What "internal clock" do you mean? The built-in 8 MHz RC oscillator ? If so, please edit question to say so. Also edit question to include a schematic of how you have things hooked up. Do you have a USBasp to program the ATmega328P system, or what?
• jagjordi: I followed precisely the instructions listed on the link I provided. And yes it is the internal 8MHz RC oscillator
• James Waldby - jwpat7: You could edit the question and say what your programmer is, what fuse settings, which bootloader. Or just let people guess.
• jagjordi: I though providing a link of the tutorial which answers all of your questions was enough, but I'll edit it out.
• Nick Gammon: Please run my chip detector sketch and report the results (copy/paste).

Answer 1

If your ATMEGA328P has already been used with a crystal or already has a bootloader on it, then the fuses will be set to expect a crystal oscillator. In this case, you must initially have a crystal & the associated 2 capacitors connected. Once you have succeeded in burning the bootloader (this process also sets the fuses) you can dispense with the crystal.

• jagjordi: can I connect the ATmega Cristal pins to the arduino board?
• 6v6gt: According to this, it should be possible to share a crystal (or resonator in the case of most newer Arduino boards) : forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=78584.0
• jagjordi: I tryed connecting to the board oscillator. Now it gives me this error:
• jagjordi: avrdude: Device signature = 0x00ffff avrdude: Expected signature for ATmega328P is 1E 95 0F Double check chip, or use -F to override this check.
• jagjordi: Also the device signature keeps changing every time I try to burn the bootloader. Does this mean the ATmega is broken?

Answer 2

As noted in 6v6gt's answer, if the ATmega328 has been set to use a crystal, thereafter a crystal (or an external oscillator) are required for programming, until the fuses have been set to use the internal RC oscillator. Here are a few thoughts, unfortunately somewhat scattered, on the matter.

If you have a parallel programmer (that delivers high voltage to the Reset pin and uses 8-bit parallel data signalling) you can use it to reset the fuses, since with that programming mode the clock is irrelevant.

Also, USBasp programmers interact with Avrdude to generate a programming clock of some specified frequency, 100kHz by default, 8kHz with the "Slow Clock" jumper installed. Also see § "Set the clock in software" within USBasp ICSP programmer quickstart guide at freetronics.com.au. Unlike the Avrdude man page, that reference says the default programming frequency is 375kHz and says "Avrdude’s -B option allows you to set the programming clock speed from software", while the man page says -B specifies bit clock period (in microseconds) for the JTAG interface or the ISP clock of the JTAG ICE only. Anyhow, a USBasp can reprogram fuses away from the crystal setting if a crystal or external oscillator is used, without depending on serial port data rates. I don't know for certain whether it will work without a crystal or oscillator.

Note, rather than "sharing" a crystal via wires from one board to another – a practice that will broadcast lots of RF noise and might not get the signal across anyway – you could instead write a program on one Arduino to toggle a pin at high frequency, and use that output as an external oscillator to drive one of the crystal pins on another chip. For example, the program below should generate a 2.67 MHz square wave on pin PB0 of an Uno or a Nano.

void setup() {
 cli(); // Avoid timer interrupts
 pinMode (8, OUTPUT); // PB0 is pin 8 on Uno / Nano
 while (1) PINB = 1;
}
void loop() {}

In the ATmega328 data sheet, see §14.3.1, Alternate Functions of Port B, and Table 14-3, which lists PB7 as XTAL2 (Chip Clock Oscillator pin 2), and PB6 as XTAL1 (Chip Clock Oscillator pin 1 or External clock input), indicating external oscillator attaches to the PB6 pin.

• Edgar Bonet: I would cli() before the while, otherwise the timer interrupt would make long glitches.
• jagjordi: After that, how I have to connect it. The pin PB0 of the "clock generator" board to XTAL1 or XTAL2?
• James Waldby - jwpat7: @jagjordi, see last paragraph of edit
• jagjordi: I did what you said (configured the UNO to output the clock, connect pin 8 to XTAL1 (PB6) but I still get the same error. Device signature keeps changing every time I try to burn the bootloader. Any ideas?